GCE Annual Report Research Findings
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems
Long Term Ecological Research Program
Briefing Document
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Prepared for
National Science Foundation
Site Review Team
October 2009
GCE Briefing Document
Table of Contents
Introduction and Conceptual Framework 3
Program Area Research Summaries 6
Q1: External Forcing 6
Q2: Patterns Within the Domain 10
Q3: Longitudinal Gradients 23
Q4: Lateral Gradients 25
Q5: Organismal Distribution 30
LTER Network Activities 34
Project Management 36
Training and Development 38
Outreach 41
Information Management 43
Appendix A – Current GCE Personnel 51
Appendix B – GCE-II Publications and Presentations 53
Appendix C – Leveraged Funding 64
On the cover: Figure 1. The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER domain (dashed line), showing the 10 GCE sampling sites, the UGA Marine Institute (UGAMI) and Marsh Landing (ML) on Sapelo Island and the three adjacent Sounds that are the focus of the project (Sapelo, Doboy, Altamaha).
Introduction and Conceptual Framework
The GCE LTER project is located on the central Georgia coast and encompasses upland (mainland, barrier islands, marsh hammocks), intertidal (fresh, brackish and salt marsh) and submerged (river, estuary, continental shelf) habitats. Patterns and processes in this complex landscape vary on multiple scales, both spatially (within and between sites) and temporally (tidal, diurnal, seasonal, and interannual). Overlain on this spatial and temporal variation are long-term trends caused by increasing human population density, which influences land and water use patterns; climate change, which affects sea level rise and precipitation patterns; and other alterations, such as dredging or changes in fishing strategies. The goal of the GCE program is to understand the mechanisms by which variation in the quality, source and amount of both fresh and salt water create temporal and spatial variability in estuarine habitats and processes, in order to predict directional changes that will occur in response to long-term shifts in estuarine salinity patterns. To do this, we seek to understand how coastal processes respond to environmental forcing, and to determine which scales of variability are of primary importance.
The GCE domain (Figure 1, on the cover) includes three adjacent sounds (Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo). On the ocean side, the domain is bounded by the South Atlantic Bight, which extends from Cape Hatteras, NC to West Palm Beach, FL. The broad expanse of the continental shelf in this area helps to protect the coast from wave and storm activity but it also serves to funnel the tides, which are semi-diurnal and range in height from 1.8 m (neap) to 2.4 m (spring). The Altamaha River is the largest source of freshwater to the area and exports large amounts of freshwater to Altamaha Sound. This freshwater can reach adjacent estuarine areas by flowing through the wetland complex or by tidal movements of the Altamaha plume into other sounds. We found that 75% of the variability in salinity in the Altamaha estuary can be explained by discharge alone (Sheldon and Alber 2005). With increasing distance from the river (Altamaha to Doboy and then Sapelo Sound), the correlation of salinity with discharge has an increasing time lag, from 1 to 8 d (Di Iorio unpublished). As a result of these differences in freshwater inflow, Altamaha Sound has low and variable salinities, whereas salinities at most sites in Sapelo and Doboy Sounds are higher and fairly stable.
The central paradigm of GCE-II is that variability in estuarine ecosystem processes is primarily mediated by the mixture of fresh and salt water flows across the coastal landscape. Our conceptual model recognizes variability along both longitudinal (from upstream to downstream) and lateral (from upland to submerged) gradients within the domain (Figure 2). Variability in salinity along the longitudinal axes of the estuaries results from variability in riverine discharge, groundwater input, and tidal mixing. Variability in water flow occurs over lateral gradients as well, as a result of tidal exchange on and off the marsh platform and water flow from the upland (in the form of both groundwater and overland runoff), as well as direct precipitation and evapotranspiration. Changes in the quantity or quality of water in any of these flow paths can potentially affect habitat conditions, biogeochemical cycles, and ecosystem dynamics.
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Our goal is to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie variation across the domain and in particular the extent to which variability in water inflow drives landscape patterns. In so doing, we recognize the necessity of evaluating the interaction of inflow-driven changes with other factors that influence estuarine processes (e.g., geologic setting, organismal interactions). Our research is focused on 5 main inter-related questions:
Q1: What are the long-term patterns of environmental forcing to the coastal zone?
Q2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients?
Q3: What are the underlying mechanisms by which the freshwater-saltwater gradient drives ecosystem change along the longitudinal axis of an estuary?
Q4: What are the underlying mechanisms by which proximity of marshes to upland habitat drives ecosystem change along lateral gradients in the intertidal zone?
Q5: What is the relative importance of larval transport versus the conditions of the adult environment in determining community and genetic structure across both the longitudinal and lateral gradients of the estuarine landscape?
The sections that follow describe our research efforts directed towards each of these questions. Our efforts in each area receive different emphases over the course of the project, as summarized below:
Q1: External forcing – continuous
Q2: Patterns within the domain - continuous
Q3: Longitudinal gradients – focused on years 4-6
Q4: Lateral gradients – focused on years 1-4
Q5: Organism distribution – focused on years 1-5
The GCE is an interdisciplinary program, with biologists, geologists, physicists and anthropologists involved in the project (Appendix A). There are currently a total of 25 Principal and Affiliated Investigators from 10 Institutions. During this funding cycle, GCE scientists have published a total of 76 journal publications and 29 books and other one-time publications on a broad range of topics, including soil processes (e.g., Craft 2007), nutrient cycling (e.g., Porubsky et al. 2009), plant ecology (e.g., Kunza and Pennings 2008), water chemistry (e.g., Jiang et al. 2008), microbial diversity (e.g., Lasher et al. 2009), trophic dynamics (e.g., Sala et al. 2008), genetics (e.g., Robinson et al. 2009), and physical oceanography (e.g., Di Iorio and Kang 2007). Our research program has examined a variety of estuarine processes at spatial scales ranging from individual plots (e.g., Edmonds et al. 2009) to the watershed scale (e.g., Schaefer and Alber 2007) to the entire Atlantic Coast (e.g., Pennings et al. 2008). We also have publications in anthropology (Thompson and Turck 2009) and conservation biology (Farina et al. 2009). A complete list of publications can be found in Appendix B.
GCE investigators have also leveraged approximately $6.5 million in additional support during this project period (see Appendix C).
Program Area Research Summaries
Q1: What are the long-term patterns of environmental forcing to the coastal zone?
Coastal ecosystems are influenced by the characteristics of the upstream watershed (e.g., land use, slope), by those of the ocean (e.g., wave climate, sea level), and by those of the atmosphere (e.g., temperature, precipitation). Each of these external forcing functions is expected to experience substantial changes over the coming decades due to factors such as climate change, sea level rise, and human alterations of the landscape. The GCE project collects data on local climate (temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction), and on the water chemistry of the tributaries that discharge into the Altamaha River. We also obtain data from other organizations (NWS, USGS, NOAA and other sources) on river discharge, watershed characteristics, human population demographics, sea level, oceanographic conditions and climate.
Atmospheric forcing
Five meteorological stations, operated and maintained by various institutions affiliated with the GCE LTER program, are used to characterize the weather and climate over a large spatial scale within the GCE LTER domain. The station at Marsh Landing, which is operated in collaboration with SINERR, serves as our primary LTER meteorological station for inter-comparison studies and ClimDB. The station at Hudson Creek in Meridian is operated in cooperation with the USGS NWIS. Data from these two stations are acquired in near real-time from NOAA (via GOES satellite uplink) and USGS (via microwave transmission) using the fully automated climate data harvesting system developed by W. Sheldon (UGA) with supplemental NSF funding for ClimDB/HydroDB participants. Both near-real-time and historic data and plots from these and other relevant climate stations are publicly accessible on the GCE Data Portal website () (Figure 3). Climate data are also available from two other stations on Sapelo Island: a station at Flume Dock, which is operated by SINERR, and one at the UGA Marine Institute, which is operated in conjunction with the National Weather Service. We also use data from the National Weather Service station in Brunswick.
A. Burd (UGA) and J. Sheldon (UGA) are evaluating variability in freshwater delivery to the GCE domain in relation to various climate indices: the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Bermuda High Index (BHI). They compared monthly standardized anomalies of river discharge and climate indices to multi-decadal time series of Altamaha watershed precipitation. They used empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to describe the precipitation patterns at 7-13 stations. The first EOF mode (65% of the variance) was spatially uniform with temporal variability at the monthly scale. The second mode (11% of the variance) showed a spatial gradient along the long axis of the watershed (NW-SE) whereas the third mode (6% of the variance) showed an onshore-offshore pattern with higher variability during June-September. There were no consistent relationships between NAO and precipitation. The SOI showed correlations with discharge and weak correlations with modes 1 and 2 of the precipitation. The BHI is correlated with May-January discharge with a 0-1 month lag, and is also strongly correlated with EOF mode 1 of precipitation. These results were presented at the 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting and will be presented at the upcoming Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) conference in November 2009.
Oceanographic forcing
We obtain real-time monitoring data on oceanographic conditions from the National Data Buoy Center’s station at Gray’s Reef (Station 41008), which is approximately 39 km from the University of Georgia Marine Institute in the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Data from this station serves as an oceanic end-member for various estuary studies and can be used to characterize oceanic forcing in physical models.
We obtain sea level data from the NOAA/NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services web site () for station ID 8670870 (Fort Pulaski, Georgia). Data are extracted from the CO-OPS web pages, standardized and documented using GCE-LTER metadata templates. Sea level has risen about 0.3 cm/yr over the last 50 years along the Georgia coast (Figure 4). Variation about this trend reveals an annual fluctuation of about 20-30 cm caused by the annual increase in specific volume of the North Atlantic Ocean from solar heating. Less obvious are fluctuations over a time scale of several years due to interannual variations in atmospheric pressure and the wind field associated with it.
In a paper in Frontiers in Ecology (Craft et al. 2008), several GCE researchers (C. Craft, IU; S. Pennings, UH; S. Joye, UGA) describe the results of a leveraged study funded by the US EPA in which they employed field and laboratory measurements and simulation modeling to predict how tidal marsh area and delivery of ecosystem services will be affected by accelerated sea level rise in the coming century. Model simulations based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A1B mean and maximum estimates of sea level rise suggest that tidal marsh area along the Georgia coast will decline by 12% and 33%, respectively, by 2100. Under the mean scenario, salt marsh area is predicted to decline by 20% as these marshes convert to open water. Tidal fresh marsh area is unchanged (+1%), and brackish marsh area is predicted to increase by 10% as the marshes migrate inland and replace former freshwater habitats. The paper describes the implications of these results in terms of delivery of ecosystem services (primary production, N retention in soil, and potential denitrification), which vary across marsh type.
Upstream forcing
The USGS gage at Doctortown (Station 02226000) provides near real-time data on discharge into the Altamaha estuary. We use harvesting technology developed at the GCE (based on the GCE Data Toolbox for MATLAB by W. Sheldon) to automatically download and process data from USGS so that it is documented and standardized to compatible units and date formats for comparison with other GCE monitoring data, providing GCE investigators with high quality standardized data in various file formats to support synthetic research projects.
Over the first half of GCE-II, discharge in the Altamaha River showed strong interannual variability (Figure 5). Although it still displayed its typical seasonal pattern, drought during the first two years of the project resulted in reduced spring runoff in 2007 and 2008. The maximum discharge in 2007 and 2008 was approximately 900 m3 s-1, as compared to spring 2009 when the discharge was over 2600 m3 s-1. Overall, discharge in water year 2009 (average 300 m3 s-1) has still been lower than the long-term average of 400 m3 s-1.
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We collect water samples at the head of tide in the Altamaha River (weekly) as well as in the main tributaries of the river (quarterly) to assess nutrient concentrations in the water entering the GCE domain. Additional samples are collected during high or low-flow events. Samples are collected by Jack Sandow (Aquatic Research South) and analyzed by the Joye lab for DIN, DIP, DSi species, organics (DOC, DON, DOP), major ions, chlorophyll, and CN. Changes in Altamaha River discharge are reflected in salinity and water quality, with NOx dominating dissolved nitrogen loading during low flow but DON increasing in importance during high flow (Weston et al. 2003). A paper describing temporal variations in concentrations and loading rates of nutrients and dissolved organic matter was published this year (Weston et al. 2009) and another paper on nutrient delivery variability is in preparation (Hunter and Joye).
M. Alber (UGA) and S. Schaefer (Ph.D. student, UGA) have developed complete nitrogen and phosphorus budgets for the watershed of the Altamaha River for 6 time points between 1954 and 2002 (Schaefer and Alber 2007b, Figure 6). Fertilizer tended to be the most important input of both N and P to the watershed, but net food and feed import increased in importance over time and was the dominant source of N input by 2002. When considered on a sub-watershed basis, fertilizer input tended to be highest in the middle portions of the watershed (Little Ocmulgee, Lower Ocmulgee and Lower Oconee sub-watersheds) whereas net food and feed imports were highest in the upper reaches (Upper Oconee and Upper Ocmulgee sub-watersheds). The different patterns and sources of nutrients has implications for which types of management actions would be most appropriate for reducing nutrient input from different sub-basins.
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Schaefer has now completed N budgets for riverine watersheds in the southeast (Schaefer and Alber 2007a) and west coasts (Schaefer et al. 2009) of the US and compared watershed N input with estuarine export. In N budgets for 12 watersheds in the southeastern U.S., she found that average N export was only 9% of input, suggesting the need for downward revision of global estimates (which are commonly estimated as 25% of inputs). She also found that the proportion of N exported was significantly related to average watershed temperature (% N export = 58.41e-0.11*temperature; R2=0.76), with lower proportionate nitrogen export in warmer watersheds. For the west coast, proportionate export averaged 12%; however, in this case it was not related to temperature but rather to streamflow.
More recently, Alber and G. Kaufman (M.S. student, UGA) have completed an estimate of nitrogen inputs to the Altamaha River estuary using a combination of GCE observations and literature values. Sources of nitrogen examined were atmospheric deposition, downstream advection of river water, flux from the marshes, flux from the subtidal sediments, and upstream tidal mixing of ocean water. Overall nitrogen input to the Altamaha River estuary is strongly dominated by riverine loading, which accounts for 95% of the input. Approximately 60% of the input is organic material, which is primarily dissolved. This work was done in preparation for a modeling study to link riverine input of nitrogen to estuarine nitrogen distributions.
Q2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients?
Variability in external forcing (see Q1) is manifest as environmental gradients (e.g., in salinity or nutrients) within the coastal landscape. We collect data on physical oceanographic conditions, nutrients and organisms in the water column; groundwater hydrology and biogeochemistry; and intertidal marsh soil, plant, microbial and animal dynamics. Although data are collected throughout the domain, we primarily focus on conditions in the Duplin River, which is at the heart of our system. The variables of interest to us span all five of the LTER core research areas.
Water column
Moorings
Long-term measurements of conductivity, temperature, and sub-surface pressure are collected every 30 minutes at 8 moorings distributed across the GCE domain (see ). MicroCAT sondes are cleaned and inspected biweekly to minimize data loss due to fouling, and logged data are manually downloaded on a bimonthly to quarterly basis by GCE field technicians (J. Shalack, D. Saucedo, UGA Marine Institute). Data are processed by W. Sheldon and D. Di Iorio (UGA).
The salinity measurements from all GCE stations are shown in Figure 7. The low upstream salinities in Sapelo Sound (GCE 1) are thought to be a consequence of groundwater inflow, whereas the gradient in Altamaha Sound (GCE 7 – 9) is due to riverine discharge. Doboy Sound (GCE 4-6) and the mouth of Sapelo Sound (GCE 2-3) have a larger oceanic influence. Note the seasonal and inter-annual variability evident in all records. This seasonality in salinity is easiest to see at GCE 8 and 9. Although GCE 7 is generally always fresh, it shows increases in salinity during the weakest discharge periods as a consequence of drought (e.g., in 2008). The GCE 9 salinity also shows subtidal variability that may be correlated with wind events. For example, peaks in salinity at the end of September and beginning of October 2007 corresponded to peaks in northeasterly downwelling events that tend to drive oceanic waters into the estuary.
This past year M. Ait Amrouche (undergraduate, U. Toulon, France) worked with Di Iorio on applying empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to the sonde data in order to study salinity variability and the relative influences of freshwater and oceanic inputs across the GCE domain. (GCE 7 was excluded because it is almost always fresh water and GCE 1 was excluded because it responds primarily to groundwater inflow from local rainfall). For the remaining 6 sites they found that the first EOF mode explains 85.6% of the variability and the second mode an additional 8.7%. The temporal variability for the first mode is negatively correlated with river discharge, with time lags increasing from 1-3 d to 6-8 d with distance from the river, from Altamaha to Doboy and Sapelo Sounds, respectively (Figure 8). The coherence shows that variability over yearly time scales dominates. For the second mode there is a correlation with sea surface height (SSH) but there is a phase difference between the sounds: In the Altamaha River, salinity increases when SSH increases, whereas for Doboy and Sapelo Sounds, salinity decreases when the SSH increases. For this mode the coherence indicates a more seasonal time scale of variability. Over these seasonal time scales when SSH increases during Nor’easter storms, Altamaha River water may be forced through the Intracoastal Waterway or other channels moving freshwater north, or may recirculate back in through the Sounds from the ocean. Further investigation is needed to test this hypothesis.
Cruises
We run regular cruises to measure the surface water concentrations of dissolved and particulate materials at core stations located across the GCE domain. This includes dissolved inorganic nutrients (NO2-, NO3-, NH4+, HPO42-, and H2SiO42-), dissolved organics (DOC, TDN, DON, TDP, and DOP); chlorophyll a samples; total suspended sediment and particulate CN samples. We also deploy a Sea Bird CTD to collect vertical profiles of conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen at each station. This program transitioned from quarterly cruise sampling (during GCE-I) to monthly sampling during 2006-2007 (GCE-II). An additional monitoring station was added in summer 2008 at the mouth of Altamaha Sound (AL-02) to better capture the near-shore end member for that system.
Samples from the monitoring cruises are collected by the field crew (J. Shalack, D. Saucedo) and analyzed by the Joye lab (S. Joye, K. Hunter). Table 1 shows the averages and standard deviations for nutrient and DOC concentrations during 2008, showing the spatial and temporal variations that are typical for these samples. The highest NH4 concentrations were observed in Sapelo Sound (GCE 1); the average concentrations in the Altahama (GCE 8 and 9) were half those at GCE 1. However, differences among the stations were not significant because of high variability in NH4 concentration. The highest NOx concentrations were present in Altamaha Sound (GCE 7 and 8). NOx concentrations in Sapelo and Doboy Sounds were significantly lower than those in Altamaha Sound. In Altamaha Sound NOx concentrations usually exceeded NH4 concentration whereas in Doboy and Sapelo Sounds, concentrations of NH4 usually exceeded NOx. DON concentrations were highest in Sapelo Sound (GCE 1). Inorganic (PO4) and organic (DOP) phosphorus concentrations were highest in Sapelo Sound (GCE 1). Phosphorus concentration tended to decrease along the salinity gradient (higher at lower salinity) in Sapelo and Altamaha Sounds. DOC concentrations were highest in Sapelo Sound, followed by Doboy and Altamaha Sounds (which were not different from one another). Silicate concentrations were also highest in Sapelo Sound (GCE 1).
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The molar ratio of DIN:DIP was significantly below the Redfield Ratio (16:1) in Sapelo and Doboy Sounds, suggesting N limitation of primary production. In Altamaha Sound, the DIN:DIP ratio was not significantly different from Redfield at GCE 7 and 8 but was slightly below Redfield at GCE 9. The ratio of DIN:DSi was significantly below Redfield (1:1) at all sites, providing further support for N limitation in these three estuarine systems. The DON:DOP ratio, in contrast, exceeded Redfield at all sites. The high concentrations of DON and DOP in this system suggest that organic N and P fuel a good portion of biological production.
Chlorophyll concentrations were highest at GCE 1 in Sapelo Sound, and decreased along the salinity gradient (Table 2). In contrast, chlorophyll concentrations increased with salinity in Doboy and Altamaha Sounds. The pattern of TSS concentration followed that of chlorophyll, with highest concentrations at the freshwater end of Sapelo Sound (GCE 1) and at the seaward stations in the other two Sounds (GCE 6 and 9). Overall concentrations of particulate carbon and nitrogen were highest in Altamaha Sound but the maximum concentrations were observed at GCE 1.
Starting in July 2008, M. Booth (UGAMI) has collected bacterioplankton samples during GCE cruises for analysis of bacterial cell numbers, leucine incorporation, and viral numbers. Samples for extraction of bacterial DNA and RNA were also collected and stored for later processing. We have also received supplement funds to conduct a survey of prokaryotic and small eukaryotic (2000 citations from GCE, UGA Marine Institute and Georgia Rivers LMER libraries), taxonomic database with links to photos and relevant data, study site descriptions with links to data sets, publications and geographic locations, a project web calendar, and searchable document and imagery archive. These applications provide web visitors many ways to navigate the GCE web site and discover relevant information.
Use of the GCE web site has increased steadily since its introduction in 2001. To date, over 1.5 million GCE web pages have been requested by more than 400,000 visitors from 207 distinct countries and territories (based on web log analysis and DNS resolution). Currently, over 5000 visitors view 25,000-35,000 web pages each month (excluding malicious requests and hits from web indexing spiders). Over 3200 GCE data sets have also been downloaded from our online data catalog by a wide range of users outside of the GCE project (Figure 29).
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Integration of IM with the research program
Information management is integrated into all phases of the GCE research program. W. Sheldon serves on the GCE Executive Committee and all IM staff regularly interact with PIs and students in research planning, data analysis, integration and publication. Specific examples of IM involvement in research activities are listed in Table 5.
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Data access policy and data distribution
Data sets are added to the data catalog as soon as possible after submission. Data set summaries and metadata are publicly available immediately. Data from monitoring activities and individual investigator studies are available immediately to GCE participants and to the public within 1 year (monitoring) or 2 years (individual studies), in compliance with the LTER Network data access policy. Data sets are versioned to indicate changes since initial release, and a change notification service is provided to users on request. Data files are provided in multiple formats optimized for various end-user applications, and MATLAB Web Server applications have been developed to provide custom-formatted text and MATLAB files and statistical summaries for all data sets in the GCE catalog and data portal site. As of September 2009 we have generated 620 documented data sets (this includes ancillary data sets in the GCE Data Portal and provisional data that are being finalized for inclusion in the GCE Data Catalog).
Support for LTER network science and synthesis
We fully participate in all LTER Network Information System modules, including the all-site bibliography, Data Catalog (Metacat), personnel directory and SiteDB, as well as new initiatives such as ProjectDB for archiving information about LTER research projects. The GCE Information System natively supports all LTER standards and protocols, and we have implemented automatic harvesting and synchronization where supported by the LTER Network Office (LNO) (e.g. EML metadata and bibliographic information). We have contributed all available data from 3 long-term climate stations and 1 streamflow station to ClimDB/HydroDB. Additionally, we used GCE data processing technology to develop an automated USGS data harvesting service, allowing 11 LTER sites and 1 USFS site to contribute streamflow data to HydroDB on a weekly basis without additional effort ().
We also comprehensively support the XML-based EML 2 metadata standard adopted by LTER in all GCE databases, allowing us to dynamically generate EML 2.1.0 for all data sets in our catalog, as well as species lists, personnel entries and bibliographic citations. GCE was the first LTER site to fully support EML 2, and our rapid implementation has facilitated adoption of this standard across LTER and aided in development of EML-based applications at LNO, NCEAS and National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII). Our EML implementation is among the most comprehensive in LTER, supporting metadata-mediated data access and integration (Level 5 in the EML Best Practices guidelines, a document created by a working group chaired by W. Sheldon). We also helped define and prototype standards for harvesting EML for inclusion in the KNB Metacat repository and the NBII Metadata Clearinghouse, greatly increasing the exposure of GCE data (and the LTER Network) to potential data users in the scientific community.
In 2009 we helped LNO develop and test a centralized data access server (DAS) architecture to provide authenticated and logged access to LTER data in compliance with the agreed upon network data access policy. All GCE EML documents stored in the LTER Data Catalog (Metacat) now include DAS data distribution URLs to support this new endeavor. W. Sheldon and J. Carpenter also played leadership roles in defining new standards and services for managing research project information and GIS information (resp.) in the LTER network.
Outreach and training
Innovative software and website development work initiated at GCE has generated significant interest across the LTER network and ecological informatics community, and W. Sheldon is regularly asked to lead or participate in workshops, working groups and committees inside and outside LTER, as well as serve on NSF panels. For example, the GCE data catalog web interface developed in 2002 () informed development of similar interfaces at six other LTER sites (FCE, SEV, BNZ, NTL, PAL and CCE), and is currently being adapted for the Coweeta site (CWT). Taxonomic and bibliographic database designs and interfaces are also inspiring similar work at HBR, JRN, MCR and KBS. The MATLAB-based GCE Data Toolbox has also been downloaded by nearly 3000 web visitors and is currently in use by investigators and information managers at various LTER sites (AND, SBC, VCR, NTL, SEV, CWT). W. Sheldon has also lectured in Marine Science methods classes at UGA and helped to develop training curriculum on data analysis and data mining.
In addition, CWT is currently redesigning their information system to modernize their web site and accommodate new data types, and they have chosen to standardize on GCE database designs and data processing protocols. GCE is providing consulting and training to facilitate this technology transfer, in return for access to social science data and expertise and landscape classification data for coastal Georgia counties.
Although site-based software development at GCE and elsewhere in LTER has led to significant advances, the decadal planning process recently conducted by the LTER Network concluded that more emphasis should be placed on developing shared solutions, standards and services to build an integrated LTER network cyber infrastructure. We agree with this assessment, and we are currently participating in several community-based software development activities and committees to work towards this goal. For example, W. Sheldon participated in a working group to develop a community standard for documenting research projects (based on EML) and managing research project information in a shared database, and the new GCE research projects database and web pages were developed using this new candidate standard. Consequently, query and display templates and web services developed for GCE can now be used by any other LTER site that adopts this technology. Similarly, J. Carpenter developed interactive web maps (based on Google Maps API) in collaboration with an LTER GIS working group to provide access to LTER site information and data. This application is being finalized for hosting on the LTER network web site, and individual map pages can be shared with any interested LTER site to provide similar capabilities on their web site.
Appendix A – Current GCE Personnel
Project investigators
Merryl Alber Marine Ecology (Project Director) University of Georgia (UGA)
Clark Alexander Marine Geology Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography
Jack Blanton Physical Oceanography Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography
Adrian Burd Biological Oceanography/Modeling UGA
Chris Craft Wetlands Ecology Indiana University
Daniela Di Iorio Physical Oceanography UGA
Tim Hollibaugh Microbial Ecology UGA
Mandy Joye Biogeochemistry UGA
Christof Meile Biogeochemical Modeling UGA
Billy Moore Marine Geology and Geochemistry Univ. of South Carolina
Steve Pennings Plant Ecology (Field Director) Univ. of Houston
Wade Sheldon Information Management UGA
Brian Silliman Community Ecology Univ. of Florida
John Wares Genetics UGA
Affiliated investigators
Dale Bishop Invertebrate Ecology Consultant
Melissa Booth Microbial Ecology UGA
Wei-Jun Cai Chemical Oceanography UGA
Lisa Donovan Plant Physiology UGA
Chuck Hopkinson Systems Ecology UGA
Mary Ann Moran Microbial Ecology UGA
Elizabeth Reitz Anthropology UGA
Carolyn Ruppel Geophysics USGS
John Schalles Remote Sensing Creighton University
Victor Thompson Anthropology Ohio State University
Martin Zimmer Evolutionary Biology University of Kiel
Project staff
Julie Amft Research Coordinator (Blanton) Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography
Kristen Anstead Research Technician (UGAMI) UGA
John Carpenter GIS Specialist UGA
Kim Hunter Research Professional (Joye) UGA
Mario Muscarella Research Technician (Booth) UGA
Mike Robinson Research Technician (Alexander) Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography
Vladimer Samarkin Research Scientist (Joye) UGA
Daniel Saucedo Research Technician (UGAMI) UGA
Nick Scoville Research Technician (UGAMI) UGA
Jacob Shalack Research Coordinator (UGAMI) UGA
Joan Sheldon Research Professional (Alber) UGA
Renee Styles Research Technician (Moore) Univ. of South Carolina
Claudia Venherm Research Professional (Alexander) Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography
Yongchen Wang Research Scientist (Cai) UGA
Graduate students, post-docs
Ross Brittain Ph.D. student (Craft) Indiana University
Chris Comerford Ph.D. student (Joye) UGA
Josh Frost Ph.D. student (Craft) Indiana University
Scott Gifford Ph.D. student (Moran) UGA
Carrie Givens Ph.D. student (Hollibaugh) UGA
John Griffin Post-doc (Silliman) Univ. of Florida
Hongyu Guo Ph.D. student (Pennings) Univ. of Houston
Christine Hladik Ph.D. student (Alber) UGA
Chuan-Kai Ho Post-doc (Pennings) Texas A&M
Christine Holdredge Ph.D. student (Silliman) Univ. of Florida
Liqing Jiang Ph.D. student (Cai) UGA
Yeajin Jung Ph.D. student (Burd) UGA
Galen Kaufman M.S. student (Alber) UGA
Kandy Krull Ph.D. student (Craft) Indiana University
Caroline McFarlin Ph.D. student (Alber) UGA
Matt Napolitano M.A. student (Thompson) Univ. of West Florida
James Nifong M.S. student (Silliman) Univ. of Florida
Jonathan Pahlas Ph.D. student (Joye) UGA
Laura Palomo Post-doc (Joye) UGA
John Robinson Ph.D. student (Wares) UGA
Sylvia Schaefer Ph.D. student (Alber) UGA
Charles Schutte Ph.D. student (Joye) UGA
Kate Segarra Ph.D. student (Joye) UGA
Nick Tackett Ph.D. student (Craft) Indiana University
John Turck Ph.D. student (Thompson) UGA
Schuyler van Montfrans Ph.D. student (Silliman) Univ. of Florida
Partners
Laura Cammon Marine Institute Librarian UGA
Janice Flory GCRC Program Coordinator UGA
Aimee Gaddis Sapelo Island NERR NERR
Patrick Hagan Sapelo Island NERR NERR
Dorset Hurley Sapelo Island NERR NERR
Christine Laporte GCRC Program Coordinator UGA
Bill Miller UGA Marine Institute Director UGA
Jack Sandow Water Quality Consultant Sandow and Assoicates
Gracie Townsend UGA Marine Institute UGA
Brooke Vallaster Sapelo Island NERR NERR
Bob Williams UGA Marine Extension Service UGA
Alicia Wilson Groundwater Hydrology Univ. of South Carolina
Appendix B – GCE-II Publications and Presentations
Journal articles
Alber, M., Swenson, E.M., Adamowicz, S.C. and Mendelssohn, I.A., 2008. Salt marsh dieback: An overview of recent events in the US. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 80: 1-11.
Bertness, M.D. and Silliman, B.R., 2008. Consumer Control of Salt Marshes Driven by Human Disturbance. Conservation Biology, 22(3): 618-623.
Biers, E.J., Zepp, R.G. and Moran, M.A., 2007. The role of nitrogen in chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter formation. Marine Chemistry, 103: 46-60.
Bromberg-Gedan, K. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. Using Facilitation Theory to Enhance Mangrove Restoration. Ambio, 38(2): 109.
Bromberg-Gedan, K., Silliman, B.R. and Bertness, M.D., 2009. Centuries of human-driven change in salt marsh ecosystems. Annual Review of Marine Science, 1: 117-141.
Caffrey, J.M., Bano, N., Kalanetra, K. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2007. Ammonia oxidation and ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria and Archaea populations from estuaries with differing histories of hypoxia. ISME Journal, 1: 660-662.
Caffrey, J.M., Hollibaugh, J.T., Bano, N. and Haskins, J., Effects of upwelling on short term variability in microbial processes in estuarine sediments. Aquatic Microbial Ecology.
Cai, W.-J., Dai, M. and Wang, Y., 2006. Air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide in ocean margins: A province-based synthesis. Geophysical Research Letters, 33: L12603.
Clark, C.M. et al., 2007. Environmental and plant community determinants of species loss following nitrogen enrichment. Ecology Letters, 10: 596-607.
Cleland, E.E. et al., 2008. Species responses to nitrogen fertilization in herbaceous plant communities, and associated species traits. Ecology, 89: 1175.
Collins, S.L. et al., 2008. Rank clocks and plant community dynamics. Ecology, 89(12): 3534-3541.
Craft, C.B., 2007. Freshwater input structures soil properties, vertical accretion, and nutrient accumulation of Georgia and U.S. tidal marshes. Limnology & Oceanography, 52(3): 1220-1230.
Craft, C.B. et al., 2009. Forecasting the effects of accelerated sea level rise on tidal marsh ecosystem services. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(2): 73-78.
Daleo, P. et al., 2009. Top-down control of salt marsh plant production by crab facilitation of fungal infection. Journal of Plant Ecology, 97: 781-787.
Di Iorio, D. and Kang, K., 2007. Variations of turbulent flow with river discharge in the Altamaha River Estuary, Georgia. Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans, 112, C05016.
Diaz-Ferguson, E., Robinson, J.D., Silliman, B.R. and Wares, J.P., 2009. Comparative Phylogeography of East Coast American Salt Marsh Communities. Estuaries and Coasts.
Dong, Y., Guerrero, S. and Moran, M.A., 2008. Exploring marine bacterial diversity in coastal Georgia salt marshes using DNA technology. The American Biology Teacher, 70: 279-283.
Edmonds, J.W., Weston, N.B., Joye, S.B. and Moran, M.A., 2008. Variation in Prokaryotic Community Composition as a Function of Resource Availability in Tidal Creek Sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(6): 1836-1844.
Edmonds, J.W., Weston, N.B., Joye, S.B., Mou, X. and Moran, M.A., 2009. Microbial Community Response to Seawater Amendment in Low-Salinity Tidal Sediments. Microbial Ecology, 58(3): 558-568.
Ewers, C., Beiersdorf, A., Wieski, K., Pennings, S.C. and Zimmer, M., Intra-guild predator/prey-interactions promote decomposition of low-quality detritus in a saltmarsh system.
Farina, J., Silliman, B.R. and Bertness, M.D., 2009. Can conservation biologists rely on established community structure rules to manage novel systems? . . . Not in salt marshes. Ecological Applications, 19(2): 413–422.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., Ciliate ingestion and digestion: Flow cytometric measurements and recovery of a digestion-resistant Campylobacter jejuni. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., Environmental Factors Shaping Microbial Community Structure in Salt Marsh Sediments. Marine Ecology Progress Series.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., The model high molecular weight DOC compound, dextran, is ingested by the benthic ciliate, Uronema marinum, but does not supplement ciliate growth. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 57: 79-87.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2008. Protistan bacterivory and benthic microbial biomass in an intertidal creek mudflat. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 361: 59-68.
First, M.R., Miller, H.L., III, Lavrentyev, P.J., Pinckney, J.L. and Burd, A.B., 2009. Microzooplankton growth and trophic interactions and their effects on herbivory in coastal and offshore environments. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 54: 255-267. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 54: 255-267.
Frost, J.W., Schleicher, T. and Craft, C.B., 2009. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on primary production and invertebrate densities in a Georgia (USA) tidal freshwater marsh. Wetlands, 29(1): 196-203.
Gustafson, D.J., Kilheffer, J. and Silliman, B.R., 2006. Relative impacts of Littoraria irrorata and Prokelisia marginata on Spartina alterniflora growth. Estuaries, 29(4): 639-644.
Ho, C.-K. and Pennings, S.C., 2008. Consequences of omnivory for trophic interactions on a salt-marsh shrub. Ecology, 89(6): 1714-1722.
Hopkinson, C., Lugo, A., Alber, M., Covich, A. and Van Bloem, S.J., 2008. Understanding and forecasting the effects of sea level rise and intense windstorms on coastal and upland ecosystems: the need for a continental-scale network of observatories. Frontiers in Ecology, 6(5): 255-263.
Jiang, L., Cai, W.-J. and Wang, Y., 2008. A comparative study of carbon dioxide degassing in river- and marine-dominated estuaries. Limnology and Oceanography, 53(6): 2603-2615.
Jiang, L. et al., 2009. Pelagic community respiration on the continental shelf off Georgia, USA. Biogeochemistry.
Jiang, L., Cai, W.-J., Wang, Y., Wanninkhof, R. and Luger, H., 2008. Air-sea CO2 fluxes on the US South Atlantic Bight: Spatial and temporal variability. Journal of Geophysical Research-Ocean, 113: C07019.
Kang, K. and Di Iorio, D., 2008. A study of estuarine flow using the roving adcp data. Ocean Science Journal, 43(2): 81-90.
Koch, E.W. et al., 2009. Non-linearity in ecosystem services: temporal and spatial variability in coastal protection. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(1): 29-37.
Krull, K. and Craft, C.B., 2009. Ecosystem development of a sandbar emergent tidal marsh, Altamaha River estuary, Georgia USA. Wetlands, 29(1): 314-322.
Kunza, A.E. and Pennings, S.C., 2008. Patterns of plant diversity in Georgia and Texas salt marshes. Estuaries and Coasts, 31: 673-681.
Lasher, C. et al., 2009. The diverse bacterial community in intertidal, anaerobic sediments at Sapelo Island, Georgia. Microbial Ecology, 58(2): 244-261.
Loomis, M.J. and Craft, C.B., Carbon sequestration and nutrient (N, P) accumulation in river-dominated tidal marshes, Georgia, USA. Soil Science Society of America Journal.
Lyons, J.I., Alber, M. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2009. Ascomycete fungal communities associated with early decay leaf blades of three Spartina species and a Spartina hybrid in the San Francisco Bay. Oecologia.
McFarlin, C.R., Brewer, J.S., Buck, T.L. and Pennings, S.C., 2008. Impact of fertilization on a salt marsh food web in Georgia. Estuaries and Coasts, 31: 313-325.
McKay, P. and Di Iorio, D., The Cycle of Vertical and Horizontal Mixing in a Tidal Creek. Journal of Geophysical Research.
McKay, P. and Di Iorio, D., 2008. Heat budget for a shallow, sinuous salt marsh estuary. Continental Shelf Research, 28: 1740–1753.
Meile, C., Porubsky, W.P., Walter, R. and Payne, K., Natural attenuation of nitrogen loading from septic effluents: Spatial and environmental controls. Water Research.
Moore, W.S., Blanton, J.O. and Joye, S.B., 2006. Estimates of flushing times, submarine groundwater discharge, and nutrient fluxes to Okatee Estuary, South Carolina. Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C09006).
Mou, X., Hodson, R.E. and Moran, M.A., 2007. Bacterioplankton assemblages transforming dissolved organic compounds in coastal seawater. Environmental Microbiology, 9: 2025-2037.
Mou, X., Moran, M.A., Stepansuskas, R., Gonzalez, J.M. and Hodson, R.E., 2005. Culture-independent identification of bacterioplankton involved in DMSP transformations by flow cytometric cell sorting and subsequent molecular analyses. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71: 1405-1416.
Pennings, S.C. et al., 2009. Latitudinal variation in herbivore pressure in Atlantic Coast salt marshes. Ecology, 90(1): 183-195.
Pennings, S.C. and Simpson, J.C., 2008. Like herbivores, parasitic plants are limited by host nitrogen content. Plant Ecology, 196: 245-250.
Pennings, S.C. et al., 2007. Latitudinal variation in plant-herbivore interactions in European salt marshes. Oikos, 116: 543:549.
Poretsky, R.S. et al., 2005. Analysis of microbial gene transcripts in environmental samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(7): 4121-4126.
Porubsky, W.P., Joye, S.B., Moore, W.S., Tuncay, K. and Meile, C., Hammock groundwater biogeochemistry and flow: Field measurements and modeling. Biogeochemistry.
Porubsky, W.P., Velasquez, L.E. and Joye, S.B., 2008. Nutrient replete benthic microalgae as a source of labile dissolved organic carbon to coastal waters. Estuaries and Coasts, 31(5): 860-876.
Porubsky, W.P., Weston, N.B. and Joye, S.B., 2009. Benthic metabolism and the fate of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in intertidal sediments. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 83(4): 392-402.
Richards, C.L. et al., 2009. Plasticity, Not Adaptation to Salt Level, Explains Variation Along a Salinity Gradient in a Salt Marsh Perennial. Estuaries and Coasts.
Robinson, J.D. et al., 2009. Multiscale Diversity in the Marshes of the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER. Estuaries and Coasts.
Sala, N., Bertness, M.D. and Silliman, B.R., 2008. The Dynamics of Top-down and Bottom-up control in New England salt marshes. Oikos, 117(7): 1050-1056.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2007. Temperature controls a llatitudinal gradient in the proportion of waterhsed nitrogren exported to coastal ecosystems. Biogeochemistry, 85: 333-346.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2007. Temporal and spatial trends in nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the watershed of the Altamaha River, Georgia, USA. Biogeochemistry, 86(3): 231-249.
Schaefer, S.C., Hollibaugh, J.T. and Alber, M., 2009. Watershed nitrogen input and riverine export on the west coast of the U.S. Biogeochemistry, 93(3): 219-233.
Seay, J.E., Bishop, T.D., Miller, H.L., III and Tilburg, C.E., Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Green Porcelain Crab Larvae in a South Atlantic Bight Estuary. Estuaries and Coasts.
Seim, H.E., Blanton, J.O. and Elston, S.A., 2008. The effect of secondary circulation on the salt distribution in a sinuous coastal plain estuary: Satilla River, GA, USA. Continental Shelf Research, 29(1): 15-28.
Tackett, N.W. and Craft, C.B., Ecosystem development on a coastal barrier island dune chronosequence. Journal of Coastal Research.
Thompson, V.D. and Turck, J.A., 2009. Adaptive Cycles of Coastal Hunter-Gatherers. American Antiquity, 74(2): 255-278.
Thomsen, M.S., McGlathery, K.J., Schwarzschild, A. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. Distribution and ecological role of the non-native macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla in Virginia salt marshes. Biological Invasions.
Thomsen, M.S., Wernberg, T., Tuya, F. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. Evidence for impacts of non-indigenous macroalgae: a meta-analysis of experimental field studies. Journal of Phycology, 45(4): 812-819.
Tilburg, C.E., Seay, J.E., Bishop, T.D., Miller, H.L. and Meile, C., Distribution and retention of Petrolisthes armatus in a coastal plain estuary: the role of vertical movement in larval transport. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science.
Verity, P.G., Alber, M. and Bricker, S.B., 2006. Development of Hypoxia in Well-mixed Subtropical Estuaries in the Southeastern USA. Estuaries and Coasts, 29(4): 665–673.
Wason, E.L. and Pennings, S.C., 2008. Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) species composition and size across latitude in Atlantic Coast salt marshes. Estuaries and Coasts, 31: 335-343.
Weston, N.B., Dixon, R.E. and Joye, S.B., 2006. Microbial and geochemical ramifications of salinity intrusion into tidal freshwater sediments. Journal of Geophysical Research, 111: G01009.
Weston, N.B., Hollibaugh, J.T. and Joye, S.B., 2009. Population growth away from the coastal zone: Thirty years of land use change and nutrient export from the Altamaha River, GA. Science of the Total Environment, 407: 3347-3356.
Weston, N.B. et al., 2006. Pore water stoichiometry of terminal metabolic products, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in intertidal creek-bank sediments. Biogeochemistry, 77: 375-408.
White, S.N. and Alber, M., 2009. Drought-associated shifts in Spartina alterniflora and S. cynosuroides in the Altamaha River estuary. Wetlands, 29(1): 215-224.
Wieski, K., Guo, H., Craft, C.B. and Pennings, S.C., Ecosystem functions of tidal fresh, brackish and salt marshes on the Georgia coast. Estuaries and Coasts.
Wrona, A.B., Batzer, D., Alber, M. and Sharitz, R.R., 2007. Savannah River, Georgia: Science to support adaptive implementation of environmental flows to a large coastal river, floodplain, and estuary. Water Resources Impact, 9(4): 21-24.
Books and book sections
Bertness, M.D., Silliman, B.R. and Holdredge, C., 2009. Shoreline development and the future of New England salt marsh landscapes. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, pp. 137-148.
Bromberg, K. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. Patterns of salt marsh loss within coastal regions of North America: pre-settlement to present. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, pp. 253-266.
Broome, S.W. and Craft, C.B., 2009. Tidal marsh creation. In: G.M.E. Perillo, E. Wolanski, D. Cahoon and M.M. Brinson (Editors), Coastal Wetlands. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 715-786.
Craft, C.B., Bertram, J. and Broome, S.W., 2008. Restoration of coastal zones. In: S.E. Jorgensen and B.D. Fath (Editors), Ecologicial Engineering. Elsevier B.V., Oxford, pp. 637-644.
Joye, S.B. and Anderson, I., 2008. Nitrogen Cycling in Estuarine and Nearshore Sediments. In: D.G. Capone, D.A. Bronk, M.A. Mulholland and E.J. Carpenter (Editors), Nitrogen in the Marine Environment, Second Edition. Elsevier Inc., pp. 867-915.
Joye, S.B., Cook, P. and de Beer, D., 2009. Biogeochemical dynamics of coastal tidal flats. In: G. Perillo, D. Cahoon and M. Brinson (Editors), Coastal Wetlands: An Integrated Ecosystem Approach. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 345-374.
Neubauer, S.C. and Craft, C.B., 2009. Global change and tidal freshwater wetlands: Scenarios and impacts. In: A. Barendregt, D.F. Whigham and A.H. Baldwin (Editors), Tidal Freshwater Wetlands. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 253-310.
Newell, S.Y., Lyons, J.I. and Moran, M.A., 2007. A saltmarsh decomposition system and its ascomycetous laccase genes. In: G. Gadd, P. Dyer and S. Watkinson (Editors), Fungi in the Environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 357-370.
Osgood, D. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. From climate change to snails: potential causes of salt marsh die-back along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coasts. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, pp. 231-252.
Schultz, G.M., Ruppel, C.D. and Fulton, P., 2007. Integrating hydrologic and geophysical data to constrain coastal surficial aquifer processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In: D.W. Hyndman, E.D. Day-Lewis and K. Singha (Editors), Subsurface Hydrology: Data Integration for Properties and Processes. American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monograph, Series Volume 171, pp. 161-182.
Sharitz, R.R. and Pennings, S.C. (Editors), 2006. Development of wetland plant communities. Ecology of freshwater and estuarine wetlands. University of California Press, Berkeley, 177-241 pp.
Silliman, B.R., Bertness, M.D. and Thomsen, M., 2009. Top-down control and human intensification of consumer pressure in southern U.S. salt marshes. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts in Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, California, pp. 103-114.
Silliman, B.R., Grosholtz, T. and Bertness, M.D., 2009. Salt marshes under global siege. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, pp. 391-398.
Thomsen, M.S., Adams, P. and Silliman, B.R., 2009. Anthropogenic threats to Australasian coastal salt marshes. In: B.R. Silliman, T. Grosholtz and M.D. Bertness (Editors), Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective. University of California Press, pp. 361-390.
Conference proceedings (published papers and abstracts)
Henshaw, D.L., Sheldon, W.M., Jr., Remillard, S.M. and Kotwica, K., 2006. ClimDB/HydroDB: A web harvester and data warehouse approach to building a cross-site climate and hydrology database, Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Hydroscience and Engineering (ICHE 2006). Michael Piasecki and College of Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA.
McFarlin, C.R. and Alber, M., 2007. Coastal Watershed Condition Assessment of Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia Water Resources Conference. Proceedings of the 2007 Georgia Water Resources Conference.
Porubsky, W.P. and Meile, C., 2009. Controls on groundwater nutrient mitigation: Natural attenuation of nitrogen loading from septic effluents. In: K.J. Hatcher (Editor), Proceedings of the Georgia Water Resources Conference, Athens, Georgia.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2008. Dynamic, Rule-based Quality Control Framework for Real-time Sensor Data. In: C. Gries and M.B. Jones (Editors), Proceedings of the Environmental Information Management Conference 2008 (EIM 2008). Sensor Networks, Albuquerque, New Mexico, pp. 145-150.
Thompson, V.D., Turck, J.A. and DePratter, C., 2009. The Historical Ecology of Islands Large and Small along the Georgia Coast. In: V.D. Thompson and J. Waggoner (Editors), The Historical Ecology of Hunter-Gatherers. 74th Society for American Archaeology Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
Turck, J.A. and Thompson, V.D., 2008. Geoarchaeological Analysis of Two Back-Barrier Islands on the Coast of Georgia, U.S.A. In: E.J. Reitz and D.H. Thomas (Editors), Environmental Archaeology in the Georgia Bight. 65th Southeastern Archaeology Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Theses and dissertations
First, M.R., 2008. Benthic Microbial Food Webs: Spatial and Temporal Variations and the Role of Heterotrophic Protists in Salt Marsh Sediments. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Hartmann, J., 2007. Determination of gas exchange velocities based on measurements of air-sea CO2 partial pressure gradients and direct chamber fluxes in the Duplin River, Sapelo Island, GA. M.S. Thesis Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 84 pp.
Ho, C.-K., 2008. Plant-herbivore interactions in U.S. Atlantic Coast salt marshes: the effect of omnivory and geographic location. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 116 pp.
Kunza, A.E., 2006. Patterns of plant diversity in two salt marsh regions. M.S. Thesis Thesis, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 70 pp.
Lee, R.Y., 2006. Primary production, nitrogen cycling and the ecosystem role of mangrove microbial mats on Twin Cays, Belize. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 157 pp.
Lyons, J.I., 2007. Molecular description of ascomycete fungal communities on Spartina spp. In the U.S. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
McKay, P., 2008. Temporal and Spatial Variability of Transport and Mixing Mechanisms: Using Heat and Salt in the Duplin River, Georgia. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens GA, 217 pp.
Mou, X., 2006. Culture-independent Characterization Of DOC-Transforming Bacterioplankton in Coastal Seawater. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 182 pp.
Porubsky, W.P., 2008. Biogeochemical dynamics in coastal sediments and shallow aquifers. Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 222 pp.
Schaefer, S.C., 2006. Nutrient budgets for watersheds on the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States: temporal and spatial variation. M.S. Thesis Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 105 pp.
Conference posters and presentations
Alber, M., 2006. CSI Ecology: Salt marsh dieback in Georgia, University of Georgia Department of Geology, Athens, Georgia.
Alber, M., 2006. The Georgia Coastal Research Council - Project overview, Coastal Incentive Grant Colloquium, Savannah, Georgia.
Alber, M., 2006. Losses of foundation species and the consequences for ecosystem structure and function, Working group at the LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Alber, M., 2006. Salt marsh dieback in Georgia, Sudden wetland dieback meeting, Wellfleet, Massachussetts.
Alber, M., 2007. The Earth has one big ocean with many features, Georgia Association of Marine Educators, Tybee Island, GA.
Alber, M., 2008. The Earth has one big ocean with many features, National Marine Educators Association, Savannah, GA.
Alber, M., 2008. How scientists can become involved in education and public outreach, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Orlando, FL.
Alber, M., Mackinnon, J., Hurley, D. and Curran, M.C., 2007. Salt Marsh Dieback in Georgia, Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Alber, M., Schaefer, S.C., Pomeroy, L.R., Sheldon, J.E. and Joye, S.B., 2008. Nitrogen inputs to the Altamaha River estuary (Georgia, USA): a historic analysis, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Orlando, FL.
Alber, M. and Sheldon, J.E., 2006. Calculating estuary turnover times during non-steady-state conditions using freshwater fraction techniques, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society meeting, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Alber, M. and Sheldon, J.E., 2006. Simple tools for assessing coastal systems: can we get there from here?, LTER All Scientists Meeting. Coastal Observing Systems Workshop, Estes Park Colorado.
Alexander, C.R., Jr., 2008. Stratigraphic Development of Holocene and Pleistocene Marsh Islands, Tidalites 2008 - Seventh International Conference on Tidal Environments, Qingdao, China.
Booth, M.G. and Muscarella, M., Factors influencing bacteriophage activities in estuaries near Sapelo Island, GA, 2009 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Annual Meeting. SCI-015 Microbes: A Synthesis of Diversity, Gene Expression and Ecological Function. University of Georgia, Marine Institute, Portland, Oregon.
Booth, M.G. and Poole, A., 2008. Utilizing nasA and 15N-NO3- Uptake to Characterize and Quantify Nitrate Assimilation in Estuarine Heterotrophic Bacterioplankton, 2009 American Society of Microbiology Annual Meeting. N-029. University of Georgia, Marine Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Collins, S.L. et al., 2007. Rank clocks and plant community dynamics, Joint Ecological Society of America / Society for Ecological Restoration 2007 Meeting. Ecological Society of America, San Jose, CA.
Craft, C.B., 2007. Tidal marshes and climate change, 2nd International Symposium on Wetland Pollution Dynamics and Control (WETPOL). University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Craft, C.B., Clough, J., Ehman, J. and Park, R., 2007. Effects of accelerated sea level rise on biogeochemical cycles of tidal marshes of the southeast U.S. coast: a landscape simulation, 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry, Annapolis, Maryland.
Craft, C.B., Clough, J., Ehman, J. and Park, R., 2007. Effects of accelerated sea level rise on C, N and P retention by tidal marshes: a landscape simulation, 2nd International Symposium on Wetland Pollution Dynamics and Control (WETPOL). University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Craft, C.B. and Krull, K., 2006. Ecosystem development of a newly emerged tidal marsh, 6th International Workshop on Nutrient Cycling and retention in Natural and Constructed Wetlands, Trebon, Czech Republic.
Craft, C.B. and Krull, K., 2006. Ecosystem development of a newly emerged tidal marsh: a model for evaluating "success" of created and restored marshes, Society of Wetland Scientists 27th International Conference. Society of Wetland Scientists, Cairnes, Australia.
Doherty, M., Poretsky, R.S., Muscarella, M., Moran, M.A. and Booth, M.G., 2009. Tracking Metabolism of an Important Terrestrial Carbon Source by Marine Bacterioplankton, 2009 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Annual Meeting. University of Georgia, Marine Institute, Portland, Oregon.
First, M.R., 2005. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research (GCE-LTER) Site Review, Graduate Student Collaborative Research Symposium, Andrews Experimental Research Forsest, Blue River, Oregon.
First, M.R., 2006. Benthic microbial food webs: daily and yearly variations and short cuts in the microbial loop, University of Georgia Marine Science Graduate Student Seminar Series, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., Environmental controls on benthic microbial food webs, LTER ASM 2009. Microbial Ecology, Estes Park CO.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2006. Diel monitoring of sediment bacteria and protists in a subtropical tidal creek, Sapelo Island, Georgia, ASLO Summer Meeting. American Society of Limnology & Oceanography, Victoria, British Colombia.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2006. Temporal and spatial patterns of benthic microbial communities in a subtropical salt marsh (Sapelo Island, GA), Long Term Ecological Research Network All-Scientists Meeting. Long Term Ecological Research Network, Estes Park, Colorado.
First, M.R. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2007. Direct uptake of high molecular weight dissolved organic carbon by benthic ciliates, ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting. American Society of Limnology & Oceanography, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Guo, H., Pennings, S.C. and Wieski, K., 2008. Physical stress, plant productivity, competition, and diversity in Georgia tidal marshes, 93rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Coastal Habitats. Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Hester, M.W., Mendelssohn, I.A., Alber, M. and Joye, S.B., 2007. Climate-Linked Alteration of Ecosystem Services in Tidal Salt Marshes of Georgia and Louisiana: Preliminary Findings, Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Ho, C.-K. and Pennings, S.C., 2006. Preference and performance in plant-herbivore interactions across latitude, 91st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Ecological Society of America, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Ho, C.-K. and Pennings, S.C., 2007. Bergmann¡'s Rule and latitudinal variation in herbivore body size, Joint Ecological Society of America / Society for Ecological Restoration 2007 Meeting, San Jose, California, USA.
Hollibaugh, J.T. and Alber, M., 2006. Georgia's Coast - Past, present, and future, Georgia Certified Court Reporters Class, St. Simons, Georgia.
Hollibaugh, J.T. and Ransom, B., 2007. Comparison of fish species reveals major differences in the composition of gut microflora, ERF 2007. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Johnson, H.E., 2007. Screening of Fosmid Library of Environmental Genomic DNA from Sapelo Island, Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Symposium, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Joye, S.B., Hunter, K.S., Bernier, M. and Craft, C.B., 2007. Salinity-driven patterns in sediment biogeochemistry and microbial activity in Georgia coastal estuaries, 10th International Symposium on the Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, Annapolis, Maryland.
Joye, S.B., Hyacinthe, C., Samarkin, V., Baas, P. and Hester, M.W., 2009. Biogeochemical signatures and microbial activity in sediments recovering from salt marsh dieback, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference, Portland, Oregon.
Kenemer, B.J., III, McFarlin, C.R. and Alber, M., 2006. Fiddler Crabs Dig It: A Study of Burrow Dynamics in a Salt Marsh, Fall 2006 Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, Savannah, Georgia.
Kunza, A.E. and Pennings, S.C., 2006. Patterns of plant diversity in two salt marsh regions, Long Term Ecological Research Network All-Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Lyons, J.I., Alber, M. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2006. Molecular comparison of ascomycete fungal communities on Spartina species found along the east, west, and Gulf coasts of the U.S, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, St. Augustine, FL.
Lyons, J.I., Alber, M. and Hollibaugh, J.T., 2006. Molecular comparison of ascomycete fungal communities on Spartina species found along the east, west, and Gulf coasts of the U.S, LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
McFarlin, C.R., Kenemer, B.J., III, Alber, M., Hester, M.W. and Bishop, T.D., 2007. A Comparison of Dieback Effects on Salt Marsh Invertebrates in Georgia and Louisiana, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
McFarlin, C.R., Ogburn, M.B. and Alber, M., 2006. The recent status and trends of two Georgia marsh dieback sites, Spring 2006 Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, St. Augustine, Florida.
McKay, P. and Di Iorio, D., 2006. Salt and heat fluxes in a sinuous, macrotidal salt channel in the south Atlantic Bight, AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Palomo, L., Hyacinthe, C. and Joye, S.B., 2009. Drought impacts on biogeochemistry and microbial processes in salt marsh sediments, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference, Portland, Oregon.
Pennings, S.C., 2006. Plant community response to nitrogen enrichment: results from a cross-site synthesis, Long Term Ecological Research Network All-Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Pennings, S.C., 2006. Sea-level rise and ecosystem services of tidal marshes, Sea-level rise, hurricanes, and the future of our coasts. Sigma Xi Meeting, Texas A&M University.
Pennings, S.C., Buck, T.L., Lynes, A.R. and Grace, J.B., 2009. Centrifugal organization of vegetation in salt marsh plant communities, 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting. Long Term Ecological Research Network, Estes Park, Colorado.
Pennings, S.C. et al., 2007. Latitudinal variation in herbivore pressure in Atlantic Coast salt marshes, Joint Ecological Society of America / Society for Ecological Restoration 2007 Meeting. Ecological Society of America, San Jose, CA.
Porubsky, W.P., Meile, C. and Joye, S.B., 2006. Nutrient dynamics in the hammock subsurface: The impact of flow and reactions on coastal groundwater biogeochemistry, Academy of the Environment Meeting, Athens, Georgia.
Porubsky, W.P., Meile, C. and Joye, S.B., 2007. Using field measurements, laboratory assays and modeling to examine flow conditions and variations in groundwater biogeochemistry, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Porubsky, W.P., Meile, C. and Joye, S.B., 2007. Variations in groundwater biogeochemistry and flow on Moses Hammock (Sapelo Island, GA): Field measurements, laboratory assays, and modeling, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography 2007 Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Robinson, J.D., Cozad, M. and Wares, J.P., 2007. Population structure of salt marsh invertebrates from the GCE-LTER, Benthic Ecology Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2006. A latitudinal gradient in the percentage of net anthropogenic nitrogen input exported to Atlantic coast rivers, Semi-annual meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society. Esturaries session.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2006. Nutrient inputs to the Altamaha River Watershed, 1954-2002, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society meeting. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, Savannah, Georgia.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2006. Temperature response of denitrification drives a latitudinal gradient in coastal export, LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Schaefer, S.C. and Alber, M., 2007. Temperature as a Control on Proportional Nitrogen Export to Coastal Ecosystems: An application of the SCOPE nitrogen budgeting method, Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Schalles, J.F., Hladik, C.M., Volkmer, M. and Saucedo, D.F., 2007. Geospatial Mapping of Species and Biomass in Georgia Salt Marshes using AISA Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Schalles, J.F., Hladik, C.M., Whitehurst, L. and Merani, P., 2006. Hyperspectral imaging of wetlands and estuarine waters of National Estuarine Research Reserves in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States, Ocean Optics XVIII. Shallow Water Optics. The Oceanographic Society, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Schutte, C., Moore, W.S., Wilson, A.M. and Joye, S.B., 2009. Mechanisms for variability in groundwater nutrient flux to estuaries and the coastal ocean, LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Seay, J.E., Bishop, T.D. and Tilburg, C.E., 2006. Spatial and temporal variations of fiddler crab (Uca spp.) larval abundance in a Georgia estuary, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Spring 2007 Meeting, St. Augustine, Florida.
Seay, J.E., Bishop, T.D. and Tilburg, C.E., 2006. Spatial and temporal variations of Porcelain Crab larval abundance in a Georgia Estuary, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Fall 2006 Meeting, Savannah, Georgia.
Segarra, K., Samarkin, V. and Joye, S.B., 2007. Temperature driven variations in terminal metabolism in methanogenic freshwater sedments, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Segarra, K., Samarkin, V. and Joye, S.B., 2008. Competition between methanogens and iron reducing bacteria in freshwater sediments, Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Metabolism of C1 Compounds, Lewiston Maine.
Sheldon, J.E. and Burd, A.B., 2007. Detecting climate signals in river discharge and precipitation data for the central Georgia coast, 2007 AERS/SEERS Meeting, Pine Knoll Shores, NC.
Sheldon, J.E. and Burd, A.B., 2007. Seasonal Effects of the Southern Oscillation and Bermuda High on Freshwater Delivery to Coastal Georgia, U.S.A, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Sheldon, J.E. and Burd, A.B., 2008. Seasonal effects of the Southern Oscillation and Bermuda High on freshwater delivery to the central Georgia coast, GCE-LTER 2008 Annual Meeting. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER, Athens, Georgia.
Sheldon, J.E. and Burd, A.B., 2009. The Effects of Climate Signals on Freshwater Delivery to Coastal Georgia, U.S.A, 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting. LTER, Estes Park, CO.
Sheldon, J.E. and Burd, A.B., 2009. An In-depth Look at Alternating Effects of Climate Signals on Freshwater Delivery to Coastal Georgia, U.S.A, CERF 2009: Estuaries and Coasts in a Changing World. Hydrologic Prediction in Estuaries and Coastal Ecosystems. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, Portland, OR.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2007. Synthesis of incomplete and qualified data using the GCE Data Toolbox, Workshop to define quality management standards for data completeness in derived data products, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Sheldon, W.M., 2008. Dynamic, Rule-based Quality Control Framework for Real-time Sensor Data, Environmental Information Management 2008. Quality Assurance Systems, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2009. Dynamic, Rule-based Quality Control Framework for Real-time Sensor Data, 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting. Long Term Ecological Research Network, Estes Park, Colorado.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2009. GCE Software Tools for Data Mining, Analysis and Synthesis, 2009 Annual Meeting of the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER, Athens, Georgia.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2009. GCE-LTER Taxonomic Database, 2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting. Long Term Ecological Research Network, Estes Park, Colorado.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr. and Remillard, S.M., 2006. Software tools for automated synthesis of LTER, USGS and NOAA climate and hydrologic data, Long Term Ecological Research Network All-Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, Colorado.
Turck, J.A. and Thompson, V.D., 2009. Natural and Human Impacts on Back-Barrier Islands, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Meeting, Athens, Georgia.
Wason, E.L. and Pennings, S.C., 2007. Gradients of grasshopper species composition and size in Atlantic Coast salt marshes, Joint Ecological Society of America / Society for Ecological Restoration 2007 Meeting. Ecological Society of America, San Jose, CA.
Weston, N.B., Vile, M.A., Velinksy, D.J., Joye, S.B. and Neubauer, S.C., 2007. Shifting pathways and magnitude of organic matter mineralization in tidal freshwater marshes following sea-level rise, Estuarine Research Federation 2007 Annual Meeting. Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.
Whigham, D.F., Barendregt, A., Craft, C.B. and Neubauer, S., 2007. Climate change consequences for tidal freshwater wetlands at the east and west coast of the Atlantic, International Association of Landscape Ecology. World Congress, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Wieski, K., Guo, H. and Pennings, S.C., 2008. Ecosystem functions of tidal fresh, brackish, and salt marshes, 93rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Estuarine, Coastal and Intertidal Systems. Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Wilson, A.M., Anderson, J., Moore, W.S., Schutte, C. and Joye, S.B., 2009. Storm-driven groundwater flow and nutrient transport in a barrier island, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.
Newsletter and newspaper articles
Alber, M., 2009. Connecting Academic Scientists and Coastal Managers in Georgia, Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, pp. 66-68.
Georgia Coastal Research, C., 2007. Research Summary: On the shoulders of giant plants…, Georgia Sound Newsletter, Brunswick, Georgia, pp. 1.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2006. Mining and Integrating Data from ClimDB and USGS using the GCE Data Toolbox, DataBits: An electronic newsletter for Information Managers, Spring 2006 issue, Albuquerque, NM.
Sheldon, W.M., 2007. Practical Distributed Computing Approach for Web Enabling Processor-intensive Programs, DataBits: An electronic newsletter for Information Managers, Spring 2007 issue, Albuquerque, NM.
Sheldon, W.M., 2008. Developing a Searchable Document and Imagery Archive for the GCE-LTER Web Site, DataBits: An electronic newsletter for Information Managers, Albuquerque, NM, pp. 5-8.
Sheldon, W.M., Jr., 2009. Getting started with eXist and XQuery, LTER Databits - Information Management Newsletter for the Long Term Ecological Research Network.
Appendix C – Leveraged Funding
Leveraged awards during the GCE-II project period. The names of LTER investigators are underlined.
National Science Foundation
Marsh-Dominated Ocean Margins as a Source of CO2 to the Atmosphere and Open Oceans: A Field Study in the U.S. Southeastern Continental Shelf. $453,573; W-J. Cai (2004-2008)
Temperature driven decoupling of carbon cycling in freshwater sediments and the relative production and flux of methane versus carbon dioxide. $550,000; S. Joye, C. Meile, V. Samarkin (2007-2010)
Collaborative Research: Latitudinal variation in top-down and bottom-up control of salt marsh herbivores. $267,743; S. Pennings, R. Denno (2007-2010)
Collaborative Research: Groundwater Dynamics on a Barrier Island. $550,000; A. Wilson, S. Joye, B. Moore (2007-2010)
Dissertation Research: Preference and performance in plant-herbivore interactions across latitude. $9,600; C. Ho., S. Pennings (2007)
REU Supplements (not from LTER): $14,200; B. Silliman (2008); $14,000; S. Joye, C. Meile (2008); $7,000; S. Joye, C. Meile (2009)
NOAA
Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analyses for NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserves Subproject. $351,200; L.T. Robinson, J. Schalles (2006-2011)
Georgia Oceans and Health Initiative (GOHI) Graduate Training Consortium. $518,195; E. Lipp, P. Yeager, A. Lipp, J.T. Hollibaugh, M. Gaughan, D. Cole (2007-2010)
National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Graduate Research Fellowship. Characterization of passerine food source, trophic structure and habitat utilization on Sapelo Island Georgia using stable isotopes of C, N and H. $60,000; R. Brittain, C. Craft (2006-2009)
NERR Graduate Research Fellowship. Crab herbivory and drought interact to cause die-off in southern salt marshes. $60,000; B. Silliman (2009-2012)
NERR Graduate Research Fellowship. Salt marsh habitat mapping using LIDAR and hyperspectral imagery. C. Hladik, M. Alber; $60,001 (2009-2012)
EPA
Effects of sea level rise and climate variability on ecosystem services of tidal marshes, South Atlantic coast. $749,974; C. Craft, S. Joye, S. Pennings (2004-2009)
Climate-linked alteration of ecosystem services in tidal salt marshes of Georgia and Louisiana . $322,219; M. Hester, I. Mendelssohn, M. Alber, S. Joye (2004-2009)
Other Federal agencies
National Park Service: Southeast Coastal Network Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Workshop. $49,664; M. Alber (2007 – 2008)
USDA: Bacterivorous protozoa contribute to shaping bacterial communities in food processing plants and influence the survival of Listeria monocytogenes. $24,000; J.T. Hollibaugh (2008-2010)
Dept. of Energy: Effects of accelerated sea level rise and variable freshwater river discharge on water quality improvement functions of tidal freshwater floodplain forests. $343,181; C. Craft (2008-2011)
Sea Grant
Nat’l Sea Grant: Development of a research plan for the South Atlantic region. $250,000; M. Alber, M. Rawson, R. DeVoe, J. Cato. R. Hodson (2006-2011)
GA Sea Grant: Assessing the impact of residential development and recreational land use on shallow groundwater quality in coastal environments. $120,000; S. Joye (2006 - 2008)
GA Sea Grant: Nutrient processing at the land-ocean interface: Assessing groundwater transformations through reactive transport modeling. $77,800; C. Meile (2006-2008)
GA Sea Grant: The Georgia Coastal Research Council. $104,434; M. Alber, J. Flory (2006 - 2008)
GA Sea Grant: Assessing Shoreline Change and Coastal Hazards for the Georgia Coast. $92,890; C. Alexander (2008-2010)
GA Sea Grant: The Georgia Coastal Research Council. $105,584; M. Alber, J. Flory (2008 – 2010)
Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division
Coastal Incentive Grant (CIG): Development of a watershed-compatible nitrogen model for the Altamaha River estuary. $245,794; M. Alber, J. Sheldon, J. Flory (2004 - 2007)
CIG: A model for predicting the effect of land-use changes on canal-mediated discharge of stormwater constituents into tidal creeks and estuaries. $49,953; J. Blanton (2006-2007)
GA DNR, NOAA, USGS: Developing a Coastal Imagery Archive for Research, Education and Management. $17,500; C. Alexander (2006-2008)
CIG: Development and analysis of coastal water quality indicators. $122,129; M. Alber, J.T. Hollibaugh, J. Sheldon (2007-2009)
CIG: Threatened Archaeological, Historic and Cultural Resources of the Georgia Coast: Identification, Prioritization and Management using GIS Technology. $149,170; C. Alexander (2008-2010)
CIG: Quantifying the Impact of Recreational and Commercial Usage of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway on the Natural Resources of Georgia. $126,924; C. Alexander (2008-2010)
CIG: The Georgia Coastal Research Council. $161,451; M. Alber, J. Flory (2007-2009)
Scientific and Statistical Support of Beach Sanitary Survey Reports. $10,049; M. Alber, J. Sheldon (2009)
Private foundations
Mellon Foundation Young Investigator Grant: Impacts of grazer-facilitated plant disease and physical stress on the structure of plant-dominated coastal ecosystems. $300,000; B. Silliman (2007 – 2010)
TNC: Conservation Think Tank Recurring Funding. $10,000; B. Silliman (2008)
National Geographic: Coastal salt marshes and phylo-oceanography: Supply lines for a high productivity ecosystem. $18,500; B. Silliman (2008-2011)
Other
GA Dept.of Education: Eisenhower Teacher Quality Program; $48,000; P. Hembree (2006)
Environmental Institute of Houston: Tidal forcing and geographic variation in top-down and bottom-up control of a salt marsh food web. $14,750; S. Pennings (2008)
Univ. of Houston Coastal Center: Geographic variation in top-down control of Solidago sempervirens. $5,700; S. Pennings (2008)
GA Dept. of Education Improving Teacher Quality Program: Science Education and Applied Research in Coastal Habitats (SEARCH): Coastal Ecological Research Experiences for Teachers. $49,958. J. Riley, S. Oliver, B. Williams (2009)
University of Florida Scholars Program. $2,500; M.Hensel, B. Silliman (2009)
-----------------------
Table 3. Population density of A. mississippiensis in tidal creeks of Sapelo Island in 2007.
|Creek Name |Alligators km-1 |
|Dean Creek |1.21 |
|Southend Creek |1.05 |
|Oakdale Creek |4.29 |
|Bighole Creek |1.36 |
|Post Office Creek |1.3 |
|Factory Creek |0.33 |
|Cabretta Creek |1.19 |
|Blackbeard Creek NW END |1.36 |
|Blackbeard Creek S to Cabretta |0.25 |
|Duplin River |0.43 |
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Figure 12. Mean number of snails observed at GCE mid-marsh monitoring sites, 2000-2006.
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Figure 8. Results of EOF analysis of salinity in the GCE domain. The first mode is strongly correlated with Altamaha River discharge, while the second mode is moderately correlated with sea surface height.
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Figure 6. Spatial distribution of total inputs of N and P to sub-watersheds of the Altamaha River. All values in kg km-2yr-1. (Source: Schaefer and Alber 2007b).
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Figure 9. The Moses Hammock transect. Black rectangles represent approximate relative well locations and depths and are labeled with their respective well ID numbers. The black circles represent locations where sediment samples were collected.
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Figure 3. An example of the near-real-time weather data available on the GCE website.
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Figure 10. Marsh surface elevation changes at GCE 6 since 2001. Timing of salt marsh dieback and recovery noted with arrows.
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Figure 11. End-of-year biomass at GCE monitoring sites dominated by Spartina alterniflora, 2000-2006. Data are means and SE of creek bank (solid circles) and mid-marsh (open circles) sites.
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Figure 13. Grasshopper abundance at GCE monitoring sites over time (top), compared with creekbank Spartina biomass in the previous year (middle), and compared across sites (bottom).
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Figure 16. LIDAR image of the Duplin River.
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Figure 22. Locations of Holocene (HNi1) and Pleistocene (PCi29) hammocks (left). Locations of wells (yellow) and vibracore samples (white) on HNi1 (center) and PCi29 (right). Tables show dominant vegetation at each location.
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Figure 17. Plant biomass, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in three salinity zones.
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Figure 19. Field team surveying a hammock.
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Figure 23. Core 5 from Holocene hammock HNi1 west of Blackbeard Island. Panels show stratigraphic interpretation; average grain size; percent sand, silt and clay; photographs and paired x-radiographs; and core location.
Table 4. Executive Committee. Members are elected for renewable 6-year terms, to include the year preceding and the first five years of each NSF proposal, following procedures detailed in GCE bylaws ().
|Personnel |Administrative Responsibilities |
|Merryl Alber, Lead PI |Represent GCE to NSF and LTER network |
| |Oversee Upland-Marsh Linkage research |
|Steven Pennings, Co-PI |Field operations |
| |Oversee Population Distribution research |
|James Hollibaugh |PI of GCE-I |
| |Oversee Network interactions |
|Samantha Joye |Oversee Freshwater-Marine Linkage research |
|Adrian Burd |Oversee modeling |
|Wade Sheldon |Information Management |
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Figure 24. Results from 2007 transplant experiments of salt (Spartina alterniflora), brackish (Juncus roemerianus), and fresh (Zizaniopsis milacea) marsh plants into different salinity zones, with or without neighbors.
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Figure 25. Results from 2008 transplant experiments of salt (Batis maritima), brackish (Schoenoplectus americanus), and fresh (Pontederia cordata) marsh plants into different salinity zones, with or without neighbors.
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Figure 26. Locations of sampling sites along an off-shore on-shore gradient. Barrier island sites are in the orange box, mid-estuary sites are in the white box, and mainland sites are in the blue box.
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Figure 27. Distribution of pairwise estimates of Wright’s Fst from mitochondrial data in invertebrate species (see text for details).
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Figure 21. Area of high marsh plant community adjacent to the upland area of hammocks (“halo”) compared with hammock area.
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Figure 20. Grain size distribution in hammocks of Holocene (black), Pleistocene (green), and dredge spoil (red) origin.
Table 5. Integration of Information Management with the GCE Research Program.
|Research Phase |Information Management Support |
|Study Design |Provide historic data, logistical resources (e.g. maps, reports) |
|Data Collection |Provide log sheets, data entry forms, advice on site standards/best practices, and develop |
| |automated harvesters and import filters |
|Data Analysis |Provide data processing assistance, software tools, statistical reports, GPS data |
| |post-processing |
|GIS Support |Provide assistance registering imagery and GPS data to produce GIS databases, shapefiles, maps.|
| |Acquire and provide ancillary data and imagery for GIS layers and maps |
|Quality Control |Provide assistance, software tools for data validation and QA/QC flagging (algorithmic and |
| |manual) |
|Presentation/Publication |Provide analytical assistance, ancillary data (standardized for comparison), maps and aerial |
| |photos |
|Metadata Creation |Provide metadata forms, templates, metadata-importing, data mining tools for automatic metadata|
| |generation |
|Archival |Provide file conversions, data set standardization, cataloging, secured storage, and backup |
|Reporting |Compile data user profiles and collate information for inclusion in annual reports and other |
| |reporting activities |
|Synthesis |Provide ancillary data, software tools, and assistance with data conversion, re-sampling, |
| |sub-setting, filtering, search and integration |
Table 2. Chlorophyll and particulates along the three sounds.
|Site |Chl a µg/L |TSS mg/L |PN mg/L |PC mg/L |
|Sapelo | | | | |
|GCE 1 |56 ± 50 |99 ± 46 |0.54 ± 0.20 |4.6 ± 1.3 |
|GCE 2 |25 ± 12 |89 ± 21 |0.21 ± 0.07 |1.7 ± 0.4 |
|GCE 3 |18 ± 10 |85 ± 34 |0.19 ± 0.11 |1.3 ± 0.4 |
|Doboy | | | | |
|GCE 4 |28 ± 18 |62 ± 15 |0.20 ± 0.09 |1.6 ± 0.7 |
|GCE 5 |29 ± 24 |66 ± 15 |0.20 ± 0.08 |1.6 ± 0.6 |
|GCE 6 |38 ± 13 |85 ± 24 |0.20 ± 0.07 |1.9 ± 0.7 |
|Altamaha | | | | |
|GCE 7 |25 ± 27 |34 ± 15 |0.27 ± 0.17 |3.0 ± 1.5 |
|GCE 8 |30 ± 22 |69 ± 31 |0.33 ± 0.13 |3.6 ± 1.2 |
|GCE 9 |44 ± 34 |99 ± 58 |0.36 ± 0.20 |3.9 ± 1.8 |
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Figure 15. Estimated groundwater discharge into the upper Duplin River during a neap-spring-neap transition during August of 2003.
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Figure 7. Salinity measured at the sondes moored at 8 GCE sites.
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Figure 5. Altamaha River discharge at Doctortown for the first half of GCE-II.
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Figure 14. Water level curves for 15 April 2004 along the axis of the Duplin River. The red vertical lines (T1 through T7) show the times of each aerial pass. The locations of the three curves are shown in the image on the right. Water level at a given time varies within 0.1 m over a distance of 7 km, so water surface is assumed to be horizontal over the 2 min duration of a single pass of the airplane.
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Figure 18. Total carbon production ((DIC+CH4 production) in control and salinity-amended reactors (top). Dashed line indicates amount of organic carbon added to reactors (nmol C cm-3 d-1), right axis indicates salinity in the salinity-amended reactors. Estimated contribution of denitrification (DNF), methanogenesis (MG), sulfate reduction (SR) and iron reduction (FeR) to total organic carbon oxidation in (middle) control and (bottom) salinity-amended flow-through reactors (Weston et al. 2006a).
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Figure 4. Sea level at Fort Pulaski, Georgia.
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Figure 2. Conceptual models guiding GCE research. Left: Longitudinal perspective showing relative contributions of river discharge, groundwater flow, oceanic influence and net flow in three coastal sounds. Right: Lateral movement of water among subtidal, intertidal and upland habitats; A & B: river discharge and tidal flow combine to move water up and downstream, C: tidal exchange brings water on and off the marsh platform, D: precipitation, E: precipitation leads to overland flow (runoff) if soils are saturated or impermeable, F & G: groundwater may flow directly into the marsh or may transit under the marsh to emerge subtidally, H: evapotranspiration. By layering this model on top of the landscape model on the left, we will gain a more sophisticated understanding of spatial variation istanding of spatial variation in ecosystem processes across the GCE landscape.
Table 1. Dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients along the three sounds.
|Site |NH4 µM |NOx µM |PO4 µM |DOC µM |DON µM |DOP µM |Si µM |
|Sapelo | | | | | | | |
|GCE 1 |4.0 ± 4.5 | 1.4 ± 1.6 |4.1 ± 2.1 |2296 ± 1210 |52.7 ± 17.9 |1.1 ± 0.4 |226 ± 90 |
|GCE 2 |1.1 ± 1.1 | 0.3 ± 0.3 |1.6 ± 0.5 |1288 ± 1066 |25.4 ± 5.1 |0.6 ± 0.2 | 89 ± 25 |
|GCE 3 |1.1 ± 1.3 | 0.4 ± 0.6 |1.1 ± 0.4 |1252 ± 1027 |19.4 ± 3.8 |0.6 ± 0.1 | 54 ± 24 |
|Doboy | | | | | | | |
|GCE 4 |1.1 ± 1.1 | 0.3 ± 0.3 |1.3 ± 0.4 |1369 ± 1059 |26.5 ± 7.5 |0.6 ± 0.2 | 95 ± 33 |
|GCE 5 |1.7 ± 1.4 | 0.9 ± 0.7 |1.1 ± 0.3 |1261 ± 999 |22.2 ± 4.1 |0.6 ± 0.2 | 78 ± 26 |
|GCE 6 |1.4 ± 1.4 | 1.0 ± 0.9 |0.9 ± 0.3 |1228 ± 983 |19.1 ± 4.1 |0.5 ± 0.2 | 61 ± 18 |
|Altamaha | | | | | | | |
|GCE 7 |1.8 ± 1.5 |18.3 ± 8.5 |1.1 ± 0.4 |1232 ± 536 |21.8 ± 7.9 |0.9 ± 0.3 |188 ± 26 |
|GCE 8 |2.2 ± 1.5 |15.3 ± 7.0 |1.1 ± 0.4 |1257 ± 587 |23.9 ± 6.5 |0.7 ± 0.2 |180 ± 26 |
|GCE 9 |2.0 ± 1.5 |10.8 ± 5.3 |1.2 ± 0.4 |1290 ± 717 |23.3 ± 4.9 |0.5 ± 0.3 |155 ± 27 |
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Figure 29. Annual data downloads from the GCE web site, by affiliation.
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Figure 28. Interactive GIS map of the GCE domain.
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